Menu About NEI Block

Mission Statement

As part of the federal government’s National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Eye Institute’s mission is to “conduct and support research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs with respect to blinding eye diseases, visual disorders, mechanisms of visual function, preservation of sight, and the special health problems and requirements of the blind.”

News from NEI Grantees

The National Eye Institute supports vision research through approximately 1600 research grants and training awards made to scientists at more than 250 medical centers, universities, and other institutions across the country and around the world. Find out about some of their recent research findings.

Stay in Touch with NEI

May is Healthy Vision Month!

It's the perfect time to learn how to protect your vision and help us spread the word about eye health and safety. You’ll find tips and tools to help you take control of your eye health so you can see well for a lifetime.

NEI News

People with good vision despite having center-involved diabetic macular edema can safely forego immediate treatment of their eye condition as long as they are closely monitored, and treatment begins promptly if vision worsens, according to clinical trial results.

Eating a calcium-rich diet or taking calcium supplements does not appear to increase the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to the findings of a study by scientists at the National Eye Institute (NEI).

Cells of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) form unique patterns that can be used to track changes in this important layer of tissue in the back of the eye, researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI) have found.

NEI: A leader in vision research

Every year, NEI supports vision research through more than 1,500 research grants and training awards to scientists at more than 250 institutions across the country and around the world. NEI also conducts laboratory research and clinical trials.